


Conversations at Sunrise

by Swordy



Series: Guide You Home [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, spoilers for the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 19:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordy/pseuds/Swordy
Summary: Gladio and Ignis have an early morning talk, prior to heading to Altissia.A series of four stories, chronicling Gladio and Ignis's relationship through the events of the game written as part of a collaboration with the insanely-talented artist hanatsuki89.





	Conversations at Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> When hanatsuki suggested this as a project, I instantly fell in love with the idea. She had some images in mind, of Gladio and Ignis through the years so the stories kind of wrote themselves.
> 
> I hope people enjoy the art and the accompanying stories. The link to her first piece is here:
> 
> http://hanatsuki89.tumblr.com/post/174700558318/sunrise-im-happy-to-present-you-the-first-from
> 
> Please show hanatsuki all the love for her gorgeous art!! The FFXV fandom is so lucky to have her and it goes without saying I’m over the moon to have been able to do this project with her! <3

 

" _I don't know where my road is going, but I know that I walk better when I hold your hand._ " - Alfred de Musset

******

  
Dawn breaks just after five a.m. It's a spectacular sight as the sun crests the horizon, incrementally chasing the darkness across the sky until it retreats completely. From his seat, Ignis drinks it in, contented with nothing more than the view and his first coffee of the day.

He’s always been an early riser, always one to witness the majesty of the changing skies while others slept, but dawn has now taken on a new significance. Now the break of dawn is this fleeting window of time enjoyable for its sheer simplicity. The way the world is currently... there's so much to be troubled by, so much to be analysing and planning for, that there was a time he felt guilty for still enjoying the simple pleasures of a sunrise. So he stopped getting up as early, instead lying awake and staring at the ceiling or the apex of the tent until the daylight was upon them.

Naturally Gladio had noticed this change of habit and coaxed the reason from him. Gladio understands about guilt - especially the misplaced kind - and had reassured him that, if anything, finding joy in the simple things is more important than ever.

Gladio's right, of course. Insomnia is gone, their home is _gone_. They’ve all lost people they love and yet they’re still here, fate or simple happenstance intervening to ensure that the Empire doesn’t score an easy victory by taking them off the board too. They’ve made friends and allies out here in the world, and it boosts their flagging morale to know that others want to see them succeed. Soon, they’ll board the boat to join Lunafreya in Altissia. Hopefully their fortunes have changed at last.

Footsteps approach from behind. He doesn’t need to turn to see to whom they belong. A hand eventually comes to rest on his shoulder and he reaches up to cover it with his own.

“Mornin'” Gladio says softly.

He smiles, inclining his head toward their joined hands. Gladio's fingers are long like his own, but differ in every other way possible. He studies their contrasting skin tones and the permanent indentation on the side of Gladio's first finger from wielding his great sword. He thinks of how powerful Gladio's hands can be, yet so _controlled_. How it feels to be held by those hands when they make love. He strokes his thumb across Gladio's knuckles.

“Good morning to you.” There's silence for a moment, broken only by the waves breaking against the cliffs of Cape Caem.

“It’s beautiful,” Gladio observes.

“Mmmmm.”

“Almost as beautiful as you.”

Ignis smiles at that. He slips his hand under Gladio's and lifts it, bringing it to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to the warm flesh.

“Whilst the compliment is appreciated, I truly doubt I compare to the majesty of a sunrise.”

“Oh, I dunno,” Gladio says, their hands finally slipping apart so he can take the vacant chair. “I think you’re undersellin' yourself, Iggy.”

He doesn’t have a ready response to that, so he turns his gaze back to the golden skyline.

“It is glorious, isn’t it?”

“Uh huh.”

“It never ceases to amaze me how you can keep your eyes on it totally, and yet it still grows light without you really noticing the change. Does that make sense?” He glances over at Gladio's profile in time to see him nod, his expression thoughtful.

“Yeah, it does.”

Both of them could comment at this point about the rumours of longer nights, and yet neither of them do, like it will taint the purity of this moment of quiet reflection. Ignis loves the synchronicity they have - that intangible connection that put down roots from the moment they realised what lay between them was more than simple friendship. He’s never been one for the fanciful descriptors favoured by those terrible romance novels Gladio enjoys, but secretly he’s always liked the idea that Gladio might be the other half of his soul. Even a man so adept at words as he has found no better way to explain that which he feels so keenly.

“Can I ask you somethin', Iggy?”

He swallows his coffee and turns to look at Gladio. The slant of Gladio's eyebrows hints at a serious topic, even though his seeking permission to ask has already given his intentions away.

He nods. “Of course.”

Gladio holds eye contact a moment longer, before his gaze travels back to the watching the sun in its ascension.

“What is it you want most? If you could have anything, I mean.”

The question is an unexpected one. Ignis considers it for a moment, turning it over in his mind.

“Well, my greatest wish would be to see Noct wed to Lady Lunafreya—”

He falters at the sight of Gladio shaking his head.

“Not what I meant.”

When he doesn’t say anything, Gladio sighs, exasperated. “For _you_ , Iggy. Once all this is over, what do you want, more than anything in the world for _you_? Come on; don’t tell me you ain't given it any thought. When you picture yourself, ten, fifteen years from now, what is it you see?”

Ignis colours slightly and turns his attention to his coffee. It’s only human to daydream about what might be; a pleasant diversion that serves as a defence against more trying times. Admittedly he’d never expected to be asked to _share_ these thoughts, especially with the man who features in them so prominently.

“Iggy? Don’t hold out on me now.”

“Very well then,” he begins, turning his gaze to the rolling landscape, which is infinitely easier to address than Gladio’s expectant expression. He puts down his coffee cup and stands and walks over to the rail, his hands coming to grip the wooden balustrade, mainly to give them something to do. He closes his eyes for a moment, summoning courage. He may as well just come right out and say it.

“When all this is over, my greatest wish would be for us to be married and making a home together.” Despite feeling somewhat self-conscious, he finds himself continuing. He studies the glittering ocean for a moment, diving back into his thoughts as if they were the waves. “I see you, taking over from Cor as head of the Crownsguard and I would continue to serve Noct in whatever capacity he deemed most appropriate once he’s king - presumably a role on his council. We’d have an apartment, somewhere close to the citadel, but whenever we were free, we'd drive out of the city, maybe return to some of the places we visited on our travels.”

For a moment the silence continues, fuelling his anxiety that he’s said too much. He tries to imagine Gladio's face. Part of him wants to turn and see how Gladio has taken this news. Part of him is too terrified to do so. The lack of response surely isn’t good. How did they even get onto this topic? Why did Gladio have to ask? Why didn’t he just say he’d never given it any thought? Why did he—

“Ignis.”

He inhales slowly. Gladio rarely calls him by his full name. The chair behind him creaks and then Gladio is standing beside him, his large hand coming to rest gently in the small of his back, his expression serious.

“Ignis, are you askin' me to marry you? Because it kinda sounds like you are.”

He turns his head, inclining it upwards to meet the other man's gaze. Cautiously assessing. “And if I were...?” he asks hesitantly.

It’s like watching the dawn break again, as Gladio's smile grows, warming everything in its vicinity.

“Then I’d say I’d move heaven and earth to make it happen.”

He finds himself smiling back, until neither of their expressions can be contained any longer and they both laugh softly. Gladio's hand slips from that spot on his back to curl around his waist and then he finds himself being turned so that they’re standing face to face rather than side by side. Gladio's other hand rises to cup his cheek, fingers slipping noiselessly into his hair where they crook slightly to give them purchase. Anchored together they meet in a kiss that is tender and loving and as hurried as the sun moving to its zenith. It breaks only when their matching smiles spread their lips and they find themselves laughing again at this unexpected turn of events.

Of course, this doesn’t magically make their current dire circumstances go away. They're under no illusion that they have a mountain to climb, to see Noct and Lunafreya wed and that self-same prince become the king who will finally end the war between Lucis and the Empire. The dawn has broken, heralding a new day that will see them venture into the unknown once more. But they have each other, and the hope for their future once the dust has finally settled.

Come what may, there will _always_ be hope.

  
**End**


End file.
